National Demands Freight Study

The Ministry of Transport, in conjunction with the Ministry of Economic Development and Land Transport New Zealand, is undertaking a Freight Study that will be completed by 30 June 2008.

The efficient movement of freight has particular importance to New Zealand’s economy, however, there is an information gap on freight movements in New Zealand and this needs to be overcome for the Government to make informed decisions on freight issues. The Study is a starting point for this and should enhance our understanding of a number matters including:

the current volumes and distribution of import, export and domestic freight movements in New Zealand;
the likely future volumes and distribution of import, export and domestic freight movements in New Zealand; and
any significant modal, national, regional and industry trends, and any imbalance of directional freight flows.

In addition to the above, the Study will also be gathering information to:

provide a better understanding of the likely future transport network and the optimal use of that and the current network, given current and projected domestic, export and import flows;

identify any barriers to achieving improved efficiency in the transport components of our supply chains;
identify the drivers of current freight movement and how these might change over time (e.g. business requirements and logistics methods); and
identify domestic and international trends, issues and opportunities related to the freight transport and logistics sectors.

The Study can be a significant resource for both the freight sector and the Government. For the Government, it will not only provide data on what and how goods are moving in New Zealand (both now and in the future), but will assist with the planning and development of the New Zealand transport network and provide a base for monitoring freight movements over time.

We have recently engaged Richard Paling Consulting to work with us on the Study which is expected to be completed by the end of June. If you would like any further information about the Study, please contact Richard Paling (rpaling@xtra.co.nz) or Robert McShane at the Ministry of Transport (r.mcshane3@transport.govt.nz).

The links below will take you to a copy of the Freight Study’s: